Often Irreverent, Mostly Rational Blog for Fans of the Toronto Blue Jays. One Day, We'll Be Perfect.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

The infinite sadness

Four losses in a row. Three games below .500. Six series losses in a row. Last place in the AL East.

However you slice it, these are the worst of times for the Toronto Blue Jays.

We're not sure if there was anything emblematic about last night's game. It was just another loss in a series of losses that leave you thinking that this team just isn't good enough, and that the pieces that we thought we had here aren't what we might have thought.

(By the way, does anybody remember a time about 14 months ago when people would make the statement "Oh don't worry...the Blue Jays are going to score plenty of runs." Yeah. Those were good times.)

Denial, Grief, Anger, Acceptance - All in one episode of Wednesday's with J.P.It shouldn't surprise that the callers came with knives out last night on the weekly call-in segment with the General Manager after the game. Ricciardi alternated between reassuring the fans that he's a frustrated as they are and flagellating himself over the ballclub's poor performance.

But what was stunning last night was hearing J.P.'s comments about Adam Dunn when a caller suggested that there was something wrong with the Jays' brain trust if they didn't already have him locked up.

"What do you know about Adam Dunn?" J.P. shot back at the caller. "Do you know that he doesn't like baseball?"

We won't reprint the whole exchange (go listen for yourself...it's towards the end of the episode), but for anyone (admittedly, like us) who had visions of big number 44 hitting cleanup for Toronto, J.P.'s incredibly frank assessment of the Reds' slugger should pretty much put those notions to rest. We've never heard J.P. (or any other GM) speak this frankly about a player, although we're sure that if he had a do-over, he might not have let his frustration with the petulant tone of the caller get the better of him.

Erg, I would stay away from Sexson. He had a couple of decent seasons with the Brewers, but once he got hurt in Arizona, it wa all downhill. However, I would rather have Sexson on the roster than Mench. I think Mench may be my least favorite brewer of all time. I was shocked when I saw him draw a walk agains the Cubs on Sunday.

I certainly wouldn't want to play Sexson anything close to the money he is making with the Mariners, but if he is going to be released, then I would see if I could get him and hope he finds his stroke. But, of course, I have no idea what it might cost.

It's just.....what the fuck do you do with this team, at this point? We were all blowing ourselves (at least I was, I had a rib removed HEYO) over the long term deals JP handed out to Vernon, Rios, and Hill. I was happy he was able to reel in big time free agents like Burnett and Ryan, even if he had to overpay/overcommit to do it.....so now what? We're locked into these contracts for better, but now more likely, for worse. We've got no wiggle room to do anything. Wait for some of the kids like Snider, Lind, Arenciba to come up and make an impact? Hope the bats come back and are at least league average again?

Fuck, it's depressing. I'd almost rather the team was pure shit instead of just swapping spots in the middle of the standings with the other also-rans. At least then we wouldn't have our hopes up and couldsnag some high end talent via the draft.

You're right Tao. These are the worst of times. And I fully realize I'm completley overreacting, but fuck it.

Wilner made a great point on a recent show about other teams looking at the Jays and thinking Doc could be had for a couple of minor leaguers. My first reaction was "preposterous!" (in my best John Adams voice) But at some point, if things continue the way they are, the Jays will have to make those types of decisions.

Since we love Doc, it's only right that we set him free...trade him to a contender. Fly, little bird, fly!!

It's so sad that I've actually thought about this, but if Doc decided he wanted out and wouldn't sign an extension, I wouldn't begrudge him one bit. The guy deserves to pitch in October, and if he really doesn't think it is going to happen with the Jays, then he should sign elsewhere. If he ever does leave (on his own accord), you know it won't be for money. He's too stand-up of a guy for that.

And I don't care what kind of dazzling prospects-based return he would fetch in a trade, I would completely shit my pants and hand deliver them to One Blue Jay Way if that happened.